Peranakan•indulgent

Gula Melaka Kueh Bakul (Nian Gao)

In this recipe, most of the sugar was replaced with gula melaka, which not only gives a unique flavour to this kueh but also a lovely fragrance.

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

1
Add crushed pandan leaves in a pot of gula melaka, sugar and water
2
Bring to boil until gula melaka dissolves
3
Sieve gula melaka syrup into a bowl
4
Add solidified coconut oil (from the fridge) to gula melaka syrup and mix well until it melts
5
Set aside gula melaka syrup to cool down
6
Sieve glutinous rice flour, add salt and mix well
7
Slowly pour the gula melaka syrup into the bowl of glutinous rice flour and mix well
8
Sieve the mixture into a bowl
9
Soften banana leaves by boiling them in hot water
10
Cut the softened banana leaves and line the inside of each container
11
Slowly pour the mixture into the containers
12
Arrange containers in a steamer and steam at low heat for 4 hrs
13
Top up water when the water level drops in the steamer
14
Remove the kueh from steamer and set aside to cool down
15
After the kueh has cooled down, loosen the sides with a spatula
16
Place a plate over it and turn over to remove the kueh bakul
17
Cut into small pieces and coat with freshly grated coconut (which has been steamed with salt)